Invictus
by Tato Potato
Summary: Ethan Hardy had just received some life changing news as he is about to tell his brother the good news, Ethan is caught up in an attack outside the hospital which leaves him fighting for his life. Doctors past at present both from the ED and the main hospital battle to save his life. Will they succeed?
1. Out of the night that covers me

**This story is based loosely on the poem 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley. This inspirational poem formed the foundations of the Inictus Games- an event started by HRH Prince Harry to aid the recovery of wounded service personnel with both physical and mental injuries. I have chosen to write this now because this week marks the second Invictus Games and I have been truly inspired by the stories of the competitors. Each chapter is titled with a line from the poem and all going well there wil be 16 chapters. I apologise if I don't update regularly but I will do my best. I hope you enjoy the story.**

It had been nearly a year since that fateful day. The day in which his life changed forever. It was cliched but nonetheless true. Less than twelve months earlier, Ethan Hardy had been a typical young man, working hard at his job, enjoying life, until in one instance that was all snatched away.

Cal and Ethan had just finished their shift at the ED. They both decided since they had faced a long, tiring day that a drink was in order. As they wandered over to the pub, Ethan realised that he had left his phone behind in his locker. 'I'll be back in a second, I'm just going to fetch my phone' Ethan whispered in Cal's ear as Cal bought their drinks. Cal acknowledged what his brother said but was swept into a conversation.

Ethan dashed across the carpark before heading into the ED. He bumped into Mrs Beauchamp on his way to the staff room. 'Ah Dr Hardy, I've been meaning to get hold of you, your Huntington's specialist has just been on the phone' Connie informed him. Ethan felt his heart in his throat. Everything began to spin around him,his eyes filled with tears. His stomach felt heavy as he willed himself not to throw up on the clinical lead. 'Don't worry, its actually great news. He said that you aren't showing any signs of the disease, in fact he said that he wants to test you again for the gene incase there is any error with the previous results' Connie explained. Ethan felt all of his worries melt away.

'Thank you so much Mrs Beauchamp' Ethan responded, his voice catching with the emotions he was feeling.

'It's my pleasure, now I hope you and your brother will celebrate this news and I'll see you on Monday morning for your shift' Connie smiled.

'Have a nice weekend Mrs Beauchamp' Ethan smiled.

'You too Dr Hardy' Connie replied, returning the smile, before disappearing back into her office.

Ethan momentarily forgot what he was doing in the ED before rushing to the staffroom to grab his phone. He checked to see if there were any messages before strolling back outside towards the pub.

He heard someone scream. It sounded distant, like a faint whisper. He could barely make it out at first because of all of the noise. He felt hot, his skin was burning. He was engulfed but dizziness before he realised what was happening. He was being lifted into the air, high off of the ground before being slammed onto the tarmac by a strong force beside the now burning wreckage of a car. He realised the screaming was coming from him.

He was numb, he couldn't feel anything. At first he thought he was dead but he could see the flames flickering around him and he could feel the heat on his face. Then he thought he might be paralysed. That's when the pain made itself known. At first it was a throbbing sensation, this only lasted a minute before erupting into agony. Ethan could barely find the energy to scream before passing out.

Cal was stood by the bar, with a drink in each hand, waiting for his brother to return. He started up a conversation with Max about the latest football results and how they were both shocked at who won the premier league when he felt the ground shaking beneath him. Max leapt under a table, announcing it was an earthquake and many of their colleagues followed suit. Cal was about to take cover when he heard the explosion. He dropped onto the ground, covering the back of his head with his hands to protect it from the broken shards of glass flying at him from what were the windows.

A high pitch screeching sounds echoed in his ears, a result of the loud blast. He heard someone yelling his brother's name, it started as a deep groan before turning into a bellowing scream. He turned to see where the voice was coming from before realising it was him.

He ran outside, stumbling towards the wreckage. Everything was glowing white hot, the heat from the explosion, scorching his face as he approached. He heard a desperate wail followed by silence. The sound was enough for him to know who it was. He ran to the other side of the car to find a body, lying a couple of metres away. The young man was sprawled across the ground, glasses smashed on the tarmac beside him. Cal hurried over before kneeling beside him. 'Eth?' He cried.

A pained groan came from his brother. 'It's alright I'm here, just stay calm for me' Cal whispered, trying to assess his brother's condition. Cal noticed the condition of his brother's left leg, it was torn to pieces. He peeled his jacket off and draped it over his brother before taking off his over- shirt and tied it around his leg to try and stop the bleeding. A flurry of people rushed around them, staggering in different directions trying to seek out shelter. 'CAN I GET SOME HELP OVER HERE!' Cal bellowed.

Within seconds a wave of people descended upon them. The clinical lead had just stepped outside to investigate when Cal shouted. Connie grabbed a med bag before sprinting to his aid. 'Right what have we got?' Connie asked as she pulled on some gloves and knelt beside Ethan.

'Ethan appears to have been at the centre of the explosion, his leg is in a bad way and I think he has a serious Traumatic Brain Injury. Please Mrs Beauchamp, you have to help him' Cal begged.

'I'm going to do my best. Right Doctor Hardy, not quite the celebrations I had in mind eh?' Connie smiled. Ethan chuckled weakly before erupting into a coughing fit. 'Itms alright Ethan, I'm going to do my best to help you, can you tell me where it hurts please' Connie murmured.

'Head... Leg... Chest... Abdomen' Ethan groaned.

'Alright, we're going to get you inside and patched up' Connie told him as Max appeared with a trolley and spinal board. 'This might be a bit uncomfortable as we move you but once we're inside, I'll get you some stronger pain relief' Connie told him as she injected some morphine into his thigh.

As they went to lift him Ethan screamed out in agony. 'Stop, please, just give him a moment' Cal pleaded with them. Connie nodded whilst Cal leant close to his brother. 'Nibbles, its okay. You're going to be alright, just try and calm down for me. I know it hurts but we'll get you inside and we'll get you some stronger pain relief' Cal murmured. Ethan held his hand out shakily to his older brother. 'I'm here mate, I'm not going anywhere' he whispered taking his hand in his.

'Ethan, we have to move you now. I know it hurts but try and stay calm. Squeeze Cal's hand if you want, it might help' Connie explained. Ethan nodded his head weakly, gripping his brother's hand tighter. He clamped his eyes shut as they moved him once more. Despite the pain relief they had administered, Ethan was in absolute agony. He screamed out in pain, gripping his brother's hand in a death grip as he fought back his screams.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Ethan was laid on the trolley and being rushed inside.


	2. Black as the pit from pole to pole

The bright lights of the corridor invaded his vision as they raced along the corridor. Ethan kept a tight grip on Cal's hand. Tears ran down his red cheeks. 'It's okay Eth. It's okay' Cal soothed.

'Okay, straight to bay 3. Can someone call Ms Naylor and can we get some more doctors here please' Connie ordered.

'W-what's happening?' Ethan asked through his tears.

'Calm down Eth, we're just going to check you over and treat some of your injuries' Cal explained,

'I'm afraid we can't treat your leg until the surgeon gets here so I've asked a nurse to come and apply some pressure to the limb and limit the blood loss, we'll do our best to treat your other injuries though' Connie assured him.

The door of resus swung open with a crash. Stood in the doorway was Ms Naylor, flanked by several doctors and nurses who were here to treat their colleague. Doctors past and present were gathered to help. Alicia Monroe - now a fully qualified registrar, Doctor Adam Trueman - consultant, Doctors Sam and Tom Kent - both consultants, Lofty Chiltern - Band 6 nurse and Lenny Lyons - Registrar all entered the room. Cal couldn't help but smile. All of the ED's finest medics were gathered in the room ready to save his little brother. 'Mrs Beauchamp, tell us what you need us to do' Adam instructed.

The moment was interrupted by the shrill beeping of a monitor. 'Right, It's a tension pneumothorax. Tom get a line in, Lofty, monitor his sats and Can someone please get the fast scan' Sam ordered. Adam stepped closer to the bed, wearing his distinct turquoise scrubs which he insisted on wearing despite being a consultant. He removed the stethoscope which hung around his neck.

'Doctor Hardy, I'm doctor Trueman and I'm just going to examine your chest, tell me if you start to feel any discomfort' Adam explained as he analysed the deep bruising to the doctor's chest.

Connie's phone began to ring. Henrik had ordered a complete lockdown of the hospital. Connie stormed out of the room to go and speak with him to explain the situation and why this was not a viable option.

'Right Ethan, I'm just going to get some fluids into you and then we'll give you some pain relief before starting the procedure. Just try and relax and don't worry' Tom smiled as he prepared the equipment. He paused noticing Cal swaying on his feet. 'Sam, grab a trolley quick' he shouted as he caught the young doctor in his arms.

Ethan started panicking. 'Cal... Caleb... Help him please' he cried.

'It's alright mate, don't worry we'll check him over and see if he's okay. You focus on getting yourself better, okay' Lofty whispered before leaving the room with both Sam and Tom. Ethan nodded his head, gasping for air.

'Lenny get some gowns, drapes, gloves and the chest drain kit now' Adam yelled over the noise.

Adam began injecting some local anaesthetic into Ethan's side. 'Ow!' Ethan cried as the drug entered his bloodstream. He felt a hand grabbing his and squeezing it gently. He opened his eyes slightly to see a familiar face smiling down at him.

'It's okay Ethan, I'm here' Alicia whispered. Ethan smiled weakly before crying out in pain as Doctor Trueman sliced into his chest.

'Keep still for me mate' Adam asserted as he plunged a finger into the incision. Ethan screwed his eyes shut, grasping at Alicia's hand.

'The tube is going in now and then it will be all over, just relax and ignore what he's doing' Alicia assured him.

As soon as the procedure finished, Ethan was faced with yet more pain as Ms Naylor began examining the damage to his left leg. 'Can you feel me touching your leg?' she asked him. Ethan couldn't respond, instead he yelped in more pain.

'Right, Ethan, I'm afraid the injuries to your leg are severe, we'll do our best but we need to operate now in order to help you but there is no guarantee, you've lost a huge amount of blood and the bone is badly damaged.' Jac told him. Ethan nodded his head weakly, his eyes rolling back as he fell unconscious as a result of the blood loss. A monitor screeched to life. 'Right let's get some O neg in him asap and get him straight to theatre' Jac shouted as she raced ahead to scrub up for surgery.

Meanwhile across the department, Sam and Tom Kent were examining Cal to determine what caused him to collapse. Lofty was cleaning a small wound on the back of the young doctor's head whilst Sam and Tom ordered different tests. Cal began to stir as Lofty began stitching the wound. 'It's okay Cal, just stay nice and still, I'm just stitching the cut on the back of your head' Lofty murmured, stopping Cal from moving too much.

Cal began trying to fight Lofty off of him. Sam jumped across the bed, pinning down Cal's flailing limbs. 'Calm down alright mate, just calm down. Lofty is going to stitch the laceration to the back of your scalp and we're going to give you some fluids because of your dehydration then you can go back to your brother, okay' she stated.


	3. I thank whatever gods may be

**Thanks to everyone who has taken time to leave a review. I really appreciate everything you have written and will try to respond individually over the next couple of days. This chapter is quite short but I wanted to end it there before writing a more interesting chapter. I hope you like it.**

The curtain of the cubicle where Cal was being treated swung open. 'Doctor Cal Knight?' A man with a strong Scottish accent asked.

'Yeah that's me, is everything okay?' Cal replied, sitting upright as Lofty finished cleaning his wounds.

'Your brother has been taken upstairs to theatre, Ms Naylor asked me to come down here personally to explain what is going on, is that alright with you?' Jonny Maconie asked.

'Sure, is he alright?' Cal asked, worriedly.

'He's in good hands, I can assure you. Now Ms Naylor is going to sort out his leg which appears to have been badly damaged in the explosion. They will examine the injury further to determine how much damage there is and they will salvage as much of the leg and muscle as possible. As we both know its risky given the extent of your brother's injuries, he may not have much motor function in his leg as the muscle has been badly shredded along with the severity of the damage to the nerves and bones' Jonny explained.

'When can I see him?' Cal asked, on the brink of tears.

'He'll be in recovery in about two hours so for the time being, just get some rest. I'll pop down every now and then to update you on his condition' Jonny said before leaving the young doctor to rest.

Cal broke down into heart wrenching sobs.

Once his sobs subsided Sam returned to the cubicle. 'Listen to me Cal. Your brother is an incredibly strong young man. You know that better than anyone. I mean what kind of person can survive the injuries he sustained in that car accident nearly two years ago? Who is the person who climbed up a ferris wheel to save a young girl who was frightened? He's tougher than most of the men I fought in Afghanistan along side and believe me that is saying something, I know your brother is going to fight this battle and with you by his side supporting him, he will definitely conquer anything' Sam told him.

'What if I can't? What if I can't sit there and watch his life be sucked away from him?' Cal whimpered.

'You know you can. You love him don't you?' Sam responded.

'Of course I do, he's my little brother' Cal whispered.

'Then go upstairs, find out which ward he's on and wait for him. He'll be out of surgery soon and will need his big brother to look out for him' Sam smiled.

Cal stood up grabbing his jacket. 'Thank you, honestly I mean it, thank you for saving my brother and helping me. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am' Cal smiled as he left to go upstairs. As he arrived upstairs Jonny Maconie met him by the lift.

The look on the nurse's face said it all. 'Please just tell me' Cal begged, his eyes filling with tears.

'I'm sorry Cal, I'm so sorry' Jonny whispered.


	4. For my unconquerable soul

Cal's world seemed to disintegrate as his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the floor, tears running down his cheeks. 'Why him? He has never put a foot wrong in his life, why him?' Cal sobbed.

Jonny knelt down beside the young registrar, trying to offer some words of comfort. 'Listen, it will be okay, I promise. It's going to take some getting used to but you'll cope' he assured him. 'Ms Naylor wants to speak to you in her office when you are ready so she can explain what happened' Jonny explained.

Cal nodded, composing himself before standing up and shuffling towards the surgeon's office.

'Doctor Knight, I'm sure Nurse Maconie has already spoken with you but the important thing is that your brother is alive' Jac stated. 'He's strong and he will need that strength as he adjusts to life again'

'D-does he know?' Cal asked.

'I'm afraid he is still under the anaesthetic, and I have instructed the nurses to not mention anything to him until you are ready, presuming you would like to be there when he finds out of course' Jac replied.

'Can I see him?' Cal asked after a silence descended upon the group. He was nervous about seeing his brother, and seeing his condition, but he knew he had no choice, he had to be there for Ethan.

'Of course' Jac stated. 'You have to remember though that he is probably going to be upset and scared, so try to reassure him and support him' she reminded him.

The trio wandered to the recovery room where Ethan was tucked up in bed, a small nasal tube of oxygen attached to his face. As Cal entered the room, Ethan's hand began twitching. 'It's okay Nibbles, I'm here buddy' Cal murmured, taking his hand. Ethan squeezed it gently before relaxing onto the sheets.

Cal let his eyes wander over Ethan's injuries. He had a row of stitches running down his left temple, his face was bruised and scratched. Ethan's right wrist was bandaged and he had two tubes coming from his chest from where he had suffered a massive haemothorax. And then there was his leg.

Wrapped tightly around his left thigh was a thick wad of bandages where his knee should have been. The entirety of his lower leg had been amputated due to the severity of his injuries. The bones had shattered and the blood supply compromised. Despite Nurse Maconie telling Cal that they couldn't save his brother's leg, nothing could have prepared him when it came to seeing his brother tucked up in bed minus his limb.

'Cal?' A voice whimpered, snapping him out of his thoughts.

'I'm here, don't worry' Cal whispered, taking Ethan's hand in his again.

'It hurts, my leg, it really hurts' Ethan cried.

'I know mate, I know, just stay calm and I'll get you some pain relief' Cal assured his sibling.

Within seconds Jonny had administered the pain relief and left the brothers alone so Cal could inform his brother about his missing leg.

'How bad is my face?' Ethan asked.

'It's fine, it might even be an improvement' Cal chuckled weakly.

'What's wrong? Cal, what aren't you telling me?' Ethan asked.

'Your leg, its been badly damaged, they did everything they could' Cal stammered.

'What so I'm going to have a limp for the rest of my life?' Ethan asked.

'Not quite, you see, they had no choice, the blood flow was severely compromised and the muscles were torn apart so they had to amputate above the knee' Cal told his brother, waiting for the inevitable.

'I-I'm crippled?' Ethan asked, his voice a high pitched whimper.


End file.
